Comment: Simone cautiously approached the door of the MegaHealth Clinic. The MegaRobo security guard checked her identity on her MegaCard with the MegaScanner and nodded briefly emitting a “beep” signalling approval.
She had not felt sick but her MegaCard, implanted in her forearm, told her at a glance that she had three potential illnesses, two of which she was aware of. The MegaRiseAndShine had made the alert as it woke her, advised her appointment time and venue, deducted the cost of this alert from her MegaBank account, despatched the MegaRideRobo vehicle to collect her (deducting the further cost) and here she was.
The MegaCard told her that she was 26th in line, and offered four options to upgrade. It recommended an option to buy current flexible 6th place for $25 or a guaranteed 6th for $50. She hesitated and the MegaCard took the guaranteed option (deducting the further cost) and reminded her (making a further deduction for the advice) that she was in the MegaCredit “warning” zone with a 15 percent loading on all spend until next payday. She sighed, worrying about the unknown third illness.
There was a queue inside the door. Simone decided she could not afford the $5 charge for a MegaRest chair and stood. She did not feel ill but the terms of her MegaSure insurance invalidated her account if she did not attend a notified appointment (and charged anyway). Insurance could not be reinstated for six months (with a 15 percent loading on premium).
Since sickness without insurance also was a basis for dismissal from her job with MegaStore she had no real choice. She sighed again, recalling the long gone days when she had paid sick leave. Today was going to cost her heaps.
MegaSure coverage gained her access to treatment but did not cover its cost. That level of insurance was way out of her ability to pay. The coverage she had was a privilege. Most people could not get it or afford it. MegaHealth had taken over all primary and hospital facilities when the MegaParty coalition had realised they had huge costs and no revenue across the previously public health system. The MegaModel of huge revenue and hardly any costs in private health care took over. There was one public emergency clinic left in town but it no longer had staff, simply a row of MegaMed dispensing machines for various MegaMed experimental pills.
Simone was called in by an automated voice and as she walked through the door to the consulting room the appointment fee of $100 was automatically deducted from her MegaBank account. She was faced by a screen and keyboard – there were few human doctors or nurses, which been recognised as unnecessary costs. A voice option was available ($10 extra) at the press of a button but by pressing the prompts in her name on the screen she got one diagnosis ($10) and two medication options from MegaMed ($10 for one-star and $25 for two stars). She hesitated a moment and the 2 star option automatically clattered from the MegaMed dispenser as the cost was deducted from her account. Another prompt generated a similar choice and outcome.
“Do you want to know the third medical issue which MegaDiagnosis detected from your blood tests compulsorily taken by the MegaCheck machine at MegaStore? Only $10 on special this week”. A moment’s hesitation, the charge was deducted, and the alert flashed that she “might have a throat infection”. Further detail only $10 – too slow to opt out and the transfer was effected generating “standard winter illness often called a cold” advice on the screen and a packet of MegaThroaties ($10 on special) clattered out of the machine.
By this time Simone was feeling really quite sick. The MegaRideRobo was ready to take her to work (deducting the additional cost of waiting). Pay deducted as she entered the workplace for her absence plus a further deduction for time-wasting at the clinic.
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It had been an incredibly efficient service as the Health Minister had promised when the changes were made. Efficient at extracting money, almost seamless.
But Simone could not help feeling that for her it was hardly a way of making her healthy or treating any illness she might have had . There was certainly no “care” in the “healthcare”. The only equity served was the equity held by Mega investors.
But as the message flashed on her MegaCard told her her experience had fully met all of the Minister’s targets in terms of efficiency and had earned her 10 FrequentUserMegaPoints which would, if accumulated to 1000 points, gain her guaranteed (but not free) access to MegaHospital if she were struck by lightning or gored by a unicorn.
Simone did not know how lucky she was. Most people nowadays just got sick, suffered and died without the health service even knowing.